Monday, October 31, 2011

Cartoon Chatter | The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy

Generally, I have talked about cartoons that I love during Cartoon Chatter, but it's about time for me to pick up on some others that I am not particularly fond of. Just over the weekend, I caught an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (also known as Billy & Mandy). It has been a while since I last watched it. If you have never seen this show before, all you need to do is think of Ren & Stimpy. If you can envision it, you will already be partway to understanding Billy & Mandy.

The titular characters, Billy and Mandy, are two children who live in Endsville. Billy is an idiot, and Mandy is a melancholy, unfriendly girl. The two manage to force the Grim Reaper (Grim) to be their "best friend" for ever and ever. The show is basically a non-linear depiction of the adventures the three face. They end up battling denizens of the Underworld and everyday children's issues—like school.

Unlike many other cartoons, Billy and Mandy never really stood out to me. The animation is nothing particularly special. The grotesque nature of the monsters and such is heavily reminiscent of a mix between Ren & Stimpy and Aaahh! Real Monsters. Perhaps because it aired on Cartoon Network, it never received the bad rap that Spongebob does. With often questionable dialogue and fairly pointless episodes, Billy and Mandy is the kind of show that you might watch in passing only to be completely confused later. I wouldn't recommend this one, but that is due to my own personal opinions.

The show did spawn one video game, so you can look out for it. It might possibly have a DVD as well, but I didn't check. Do you love this cartoon? Sound off in the comments.